"The projects at the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise were the best way for me to learn more about my field of interest and put it to practice"
Dan Zook, MBA '07 Business Planning Manager
Standard Chartered Bank

The following is a list, ordered alphabetically by company, of the sponsored projects conducted by teams of students from 2005-2007 under the guidance of faculty from the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise.

For further information, please contact Professor Mark Milstein.

AguaClara is a project in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University that is improving drinking water quality through innovative research, knowledge transfer, open source engineering and design of sustainable, replicable water treatment systems.

Project: This project focused on helping the AguaClara engineering team to consider the market variables so important for technology commercialization. Students developed recommendations for the venture to scale their operations to disseminate village-scale water treatment technology.

BP is one of the world's largest energy companies, providing its customers with fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, retail services and petrochemicals products for everyday items. BP has transformed: growing from a local oil company into a global energy group; employing over 96,000 people and operating in over 100 countries worldwide. Profits in 2005 were $19.3 billion on $262 billion in revenue.

Project: This project was focused on a proposal for a multi-stakeholder project to enhance BP's business objectives and reputation by enabling sustainable villages, using for-profit business models wherever possible. Students examined BP's role and distinctive contribution to the project within a global partnership that would focus on developing and delivering replicable sustainable villages in areas that would include housing, infrastructure, transport, educational models and food production.

Cascade Engineering is a leader in engineered plastic systems and components. They provide innovative expertise and intelligent solutions for the automotive, solid waste and industrial markets. Their capabilities range from compounding and testing, integrated design analysis and prototyping to large tonnage molding and plastics processing. And their global partnerships allow them to provide leading-edge products and services, while maintaining a strong commitment to lean manufacturing and environmental stewardship.

Project: This project analyzed the commercialization opportunities for a plasticized water purification device that was traditionally constructed from concrete, which limited its production and distribution. Working with a consortium of stakeholders, students developed plans for deployment to low-income markets suitable for more distributed (family and multi-family) applications.

Cherokee Investment Partners specializes in the acquisition, remediation and sustainable redevelopment of brownfields. Since 1990, the company has acquired more than 500 properties while protecting sellers, future owners and communities from the risks and liabilities associated with environmental impairment. Cherokee formed its third institutional fund in 2002, a dedicated brownfield fund comprising $620 million of equity, enabling it to purchase, clean up and redeploy contaminated real estate. Cherokee currently invests in properties throughout North America and Western Europe. In conjunction with placing capital and generating returns for investors, Cherokee provides solutions for sellers and the cities affected by their contaminated sites. Cherokee typically acquires assets for cash and indemnifies the seller from environmental liability through the use of insurance policies and other customized risk transfer methods. Portfolios can contain both clean and environmentally impaired properties; after acquisition, they remediate and reposition the properties for reuse. Cherokee accepts projects that traditional investors often reject and actively looks to transform communities where urban blight and environmental contamination impede economic growth and community redevelopment.

Project: This project focused on an analysis of strategies to capture operational cost savings resulting from sustainable design or green building. The project team was asked to identify strategies and suggest new, innovative strategies to transfer green building design benefits to the landlord or owner.

Clean Energy Group is a non-profit organization dedicated to greater use of cleaner energy technologies, such as fuel cells and solar, in newly restructured energy markets. CEG was organized in January 1998. CEG promotes policies and programs that support replacement of the existing electricity generation system with new, less polluting clean energy technologies in the U.S. and abroad through creative financing, business partnerships, public policy and advocacy. CEG works with nonprofit officials from around the U.S. that are responsible for over $3.5 billion in new clean energy funds. CEG now manages the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA), a new nonprofit organization assisting these funds in multi-state strategies. It also manages the Public Fuel Cell Alliance (PFCA), a new consortium of public fuel cell funders working to collaborate on fuel cell and hydrogen technologies. CEG also works with public officials in Europe interested in trans-Atlantic efforts to build clean energy markets.

Project: This project examined the opportunity for the organization's "Clean Energy Investment Working Group," to develop enhanced, environmentally responsive investment strategies in the clean energy sub-sector which would deliver competitive returns. The students recommended investment strategies for institutional investors in relevant asset classes, including private equity, public equity, real estate, and project finance.

Dow Corning Corporation is the world's largest silicone producer, achieving sales of $3.8bn in 2005. The business comprises 3 major business units; Core Products, Specialty Chemicals and Advanced Technologies.

Project: This project considered the strategic options available to Dow Corning in the area of sustainability. Students made recommendations to the ATV business leadership regarding the strategic business opportunities stemming from sustainability.

Project: This project examined the potential global market clean coal technologies, including market size, structure, geographic opportunities, and drivers of growth.

Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and protection, home and construction, transportation and apparel.

Project: This project involved the development and refinement of the corporate efforts to work with the company's businesses to formulate strategic direction and tools that would allow the organization to better identify the issues/opportunities associated with sustainable growth.

Emerging Markets Group is an international development consulting firm that serves donor agencies and sovereign governments. Based in their corporate offices in Brussels, London, and Washington DC, and in project sites around the world, their professionals are committed to excellent client service, sustainable development impact, and to improving peoples' lives.

Project: This project analyzed the effectiveness of the Business Linkages Challenge Fund (BLCF), a program funded by the UK's Department for International Development (DFID) meant to engage the private sector to accelerate growth and poverty reduction in developing countries. The project team worked to develop an evaluation tool to understand whether or not projects met their intended goals, and why.

Environmental Credit Corp. is a leading supplier of high quality environmental credits to emerging global financial markets. The company is establishing a large and reliable source of carbon credits through cost-effective, long-term projects that reduce greenhouse gases. Through partnerships with farmers and waste managers, ECC creates and monetizes environmental benefits while enhancing overall enterprise efficiency, economic performance, and sustainability. As a participating member and offset credit provider of the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), ECC creates, aggregates, registers and trades certified carbon credits in the US and internationally. ECC is pioneering the development of new protocols and new markets for carbon and other environmental credits, including renewable energy certificates and air and water quality credits. By creating economic value from environmental benefits, ECC is demonstrating a commitment to a sustainable balance between profitability and environmental stewardship.

Project: ECC sponsored a project to allow students to examine the opportunity for Cornell University to reduce its carbon emissions profile. Students considered a broad range of options including participation in carbon emissions offsets, clean energy credits, and the implementation of innovative incentive programs that would impact the teaching, research and outreach at the University.

The FARM Institute is a teaching farm that educates and engages children and adults in sustainable agriculture through the diverse operations of a working farm.

Project: The objective of this project was to develop a long-term (3-5 year) growth strategy for The FARM Institute centered around the organization's mission of education about sustainable agriculture.

Freeplay Energy PLC seeks to maintain its leadership in creating and developing the market for self-sufficient energy products internationally. The company accomplishes this through both the establishment of their own products in the market, and the formation of strategic alliances with partners that bring compatible technology and market leadership. They are committed to balancing the imperatives of both profit and social justice, by providing excellent returns to shareholders and stakeholders, whilst maintaining complete integrity and contributing to the personal fulfillment of employees, the communities in which they operate, and beneficiaries of their products.

The Freeplay Foundation was established in 1998 as an extension of the company's commitment to development and empowerment. The foundation seeks to enable access to information and education to the most vulnerable populations through appropriate and sustainable technologies particularly self-powered radios. The Freeplay Foundation is committed to promoting the importance of radio as a vital communication medium in the developing world. We believe that, like education, access to information is a fundamental human right.

Project: This project focused on the development of a business for an innovative, distributed energy technology – the Weza. Students worked with the Freeplay Foundation, Freeplay Energy, CARE Rwanda and the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) to develop a proposal to provide Weza to 50 Rwandan individuals/groups to become Freeplay Weza "Enterprise Pioneers". Pioneers would receive a "Weza business start-up kit" complete with Weza, low-risk financing, and technical/business training, enabling them to provide energy services, on a fee for service basis, in their communities.

GE is dedicated to turning imaginative ideas into leading products and services that help solve some of the world's toughest problems. GE makes a wide range of products for the home and business, including Appliances, Consumer Electronics, Home Comfort and Safety, Lighting, Automotive, Aviation, Commercial, Energy, Healthcare, Retail, Security, and Transportation. Through the company's Ecomagination initiative, the company is investing in energy technologies—from renewables to hydrogen to the next generation of nuclear power. Global Research Centers (located in Shanghai, Munich, Bangalore and Schenectady) and across each of GE's six businesses are developing a broad technology portfolio to help customers and society meet a range of energy and environmental challenges.

Project: This project focused on evaluating whether there was an opportunity to develop small-scale, distributed clean water systems for customers in developing countries.

Project: This project focused on recommendations to create an integrated "ecomagination campus program" that would enable the company to help campuses to aggressively reduce energy use, water use, greenhouse gas emissions, and operating costs.

Genesi designs, develops and produces CHRP/IEEE 1275 based computing products that bring Power Architecture™ technology, flexibility, and efficiency to the desktop, home entertainment, netcom, low-end server and pervasive market segments at an affordable price.

Project: This project focused on the development of an engagement framework for identification of business opportunities in Morocco based on the BoP Protocol

Herman Miller creates work environments through the design, manufacture and distribution of furnishings, interior products, and related services. Through problem-solving research and design, the company seeks to develop innovative solutions to real needs in working, healing, learning, and living environments. Net sales of $262,000 in 1923 grew to $25 million in 1970, the year the company went public; net sales in fiscal year 2006 were $1.74 billion.

Project: This project focused on helping the company better understanding whether the company could truly generate competitive advantage by developing and bringing to market products that meet a specific design protocol. Students provided recommendations on how the company could continue to lead its industry utilizing sustainability as a strategic organizing framework.

IBM strives to lead in the invention, development and manufacture of the industry's most advanced information technologies, including computer systems, software, storage systems and microelectronics. IBM works to translate these advanced technologies into value for their customers through professional solutions, services and consulting businesses worldwide.

Project: This project focused on the development of a virtual business incubator. Students worked to develop an IBM-hosted enabler for the global business community facing challenges transforming innovative ideas into viable businesses.

Founded in 1956, the International Finance Corporation is the private sector arm of the World Bank Group. IFC's mission is to promote sustainable private sector investment in developing countries, helping to reduce poverty and improve people's lives. Since its founding, IFC has committed more than $56 billion of its own funds and has arranged $25 billion in syndications for 3,531 companies in 140 developing countries. IFC's worldwide committed portfolio as of FY06 was $21.6 billion for its own account and $5.1 billion held for participants in loan syndications. IFC provides loans, equity, structured finance and risk management products, and advisory services to build the private sector in developing countries.

Project: This project focused on identifying examples of private sector "micro"-housing finance enterprises globally, with emphasis on South America (and in particular Brazil). Students analyzed existing business models and financial viability of these enterprises, assessed business opportunities and risks, socioeconomic impacts on the squatter communities/customers and other affected stakeholders, and compared their performance to public sector housing programs.

A leading equipment and apparel maker, Nike aspires to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.

Project: This project focused on assessing needs and market for sports apparel for Muslim women. The team helped define various and key markets for Muslim women worldwide (including the US, European and Gulf region), provided a point of view on key segments, profiled consumer segments, defined product interests and consumer behavior for various segments, and estimated market size and growth potential.

Plebys is a venture development and management company that builds sustainable, technology-based enterprises that address the critical needs of underserved markets globally. Plebys seeks leadership in the creation of state-of-the art solutions and business models that provide opportunities to shrink the gap in global access to critical-need products. The company is dedicated to the creation and management of enterprises that develop affordable products that reach beyond affluent markets and conventional corporate marketing and distribution efforts.

Project: This project analyzed the opportunity for the company raise a new investment fund (Plebys II) that would invest in technology-based ventures targeting base of the pyramid markets. Students analyzed technologies expected to address significant problems in the target markets related to health (potable water, waste water and sanitation, medical grade water, agricultural water and micronutrients) and energy (micro utility power). Additionally, students developed a process for screening potential investments.

Pfizer is committed to being a global leader in health care by providing access to safe, effective and affordable medicines and related health care services to the people who need them.

Project: This project focused on a market entry for a Pfizer OTC product to be launched in India. Students analyzed the India consumer market and offered recommendations related to brand positioning, pricing, distribution, marketing, and competitive assessment.

Beginning in 1886 as a parquet flooring company, SC Johnson has a reputation for consumer-driven innovation. The company produces a host of well known consumer brands, including Shout, Windex, Ziploc, Glade, Vanish, Raid, OFF!, and Pledge sold in more than 70 countries. SCJ is one of the largest privately held companies in the world, doing more than $9 billion in sales.

Project: The project required students to develop a Base of the Pyramid (BoP) business in Kibera, Nairobi – the largest slum in East Africa, building on efforts initiated in the summer of 2005 by a pilot team which led to the establishment of a business partnership between SC Johnson's Kenya subsidiary and Kiberan youth groups to pilot test a new business model for delivering insect control, cleaning, and air care services to Kibera's residents.

Shell Hydrogen is a global business of the Shell Group with headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands, and regional bases in Houston and Tokyo. Shell Hydrogen was set up in 1999 to pursue and develop business opportunities related to hydrogen and fuel cells. The goal of the business is to bring hydrogen into a retail setting. Shell already has a hydrogen platform of production nodes all over the world. Over 50 million tonnes are produced and consumed every year. Through existing and planned demonstration projects Shell Hydrogen is currently building up experience in connecting these production nodes with retail infrastructure; bringing hydrogen out of its industrial settings into the everyday lives of people, to places where consumers can access it as a fuel for their vehicles.

Project: This project focused on the identification of opportunities for the hydrogen supply industry and the automakers within the mobility value chain. Both industries need to define a healthy business model to be able to successfully migrate to a hydrogen world. A dilemma is the chicken and egg problem: no vehicles without a hydrogen supply infrastructure, and no infrastructure without vehicles. Students examined options for cooperation, business model innovation, and analogies from other industries that could serve as salient examples of transformation and change.

Suncor Energy Inc. is a growing, integrated energy company, strategically focused on developing one of the world's largest petroleum resource basins – Canada's Athabasca oil sands. Suncor began in 1967 by tapping the oil sands to produce the first commercial barrel of synthetic crude oil. Since then, the company has grown to four major businesses with more than 5,000 employees. Located near Fort McMurray, Alberta in Canada, Suncor extracts and upgrades oil sands into high-quality refinery feedstock and diesel fuel. In Western Canada, Suncor explores for, develops and produces natural gas. In Ontario, Suncor refines crude oil and markets a range of petroleum and petrochemical products, primarily under the Sunoco brand. In Colorado, Suncor's downstream assets include a Commerce City-based refinery, crude oil pipeline systems and a network of retail stations branded as Phillips 66. Suncor is also investing in clean, renewable energy sources. Suncor operates an ethanol plant in the Sarnia-Lambton region of Ontario. The St. Clair Ethanol Plant was expected to be the largest ethanol production facility in Canada.

Project: This project was aimed at helping the company better value the use of environmental resources in project planning and capital budgeting decisions.

Tandus is the profitability leader in the floorcoverings industry. It is a privately held entity comprised of three branded businesses – Monterey, C&A and Crossley – that design, manufacture and market modular tile, six-foot structured back, and tufted and woven broadloom. The company has been a consistent leader in addressing the social and environmental issues of the floorcoverings industry. Tandus' Infinity Initiative was the industry's first closed-loop recycling program. The company was able to convert old carpet into new carpet instead of simply diverting old carpet into secondary products as competitors did. The company's FLOORE program mines buildings in the industry's first and only carpet buy-back program. In 2004, Tandus introduced ethos™, a non-chlorinated, high-performance backing for commercial carpet that provides all of the durability attributes of PVC. ethos™ is a next-generation floorcovering product made from an abundant waste source - the polyvinyl butyral (PVB) film found in automotive windshields. ethos™ is the first commercial use for PVB which accounts for millions of pounds of landfill waste every year in the US.

Project: This project involved evaluating the supply chain for a polymer input of a new technological process that produced a next-generation floorcovering for the company. The product – a post-consumer and post-industrial, closed loop product – was the first of its kind in the industry. The project team evaluated potential domestic and international sources of the polymer and the manner in which the new product fit into the company's strategic profile.

The Terra Beata Cranberry Farm is a grower and processor of cranberry products.

Project: This project focused on a strategic growth plan for the company to focus operations and expand revenue.

WaterHealth International is a venture-backed, for-profit corporation which addresses the most basic needs of BOP clients, i.e. the provision of safe, clean supply of water. Based on patented technology from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, WHI has developed a turn-key solution for rural, urban and peri-urban populations. The current focus of the company is the delivery of community water systems (CWS) into rural India (the company has units installed throughout Asia, Central and South America and Africa). WHI has reduced the price of safe, clean water by two orders of magnitude in rural India – delivering 12 litres of treated water for Rs 1, and approximately 20 litres for Rs 1.5. The company has experienced high adoption rates (up to 80% of families using the CWS within a month of installation) but the delivery method still means that families are purchasing daily 12 or 20 litre containers which will only satisfy part of the daily demand for potable water in the typical rural household. The WHO estimates an average water consumption of 40 liters/day per person is desirable.

Project: This project investigated the feasibility of moving from the company's current business model to a new business model in India. The team evaluated the company's current business model, customer behavior and usage modes before making recommendations to the company's leadership.